Author: Chris

With the ever-evolving state of digital security posing endless threats to organizations and their data, innovative solutions are in growing demand and implementation. One of the most notable of these new approaches is that of Zero Trust technology, which seeks to reimagine the way in which network security operates and build from the ground up who has access to what specific data.

Zero Trust is a security architecture that ‘never trusts and always verifies’. It’s designed to safeguard contemporary digital environments by using network segmentation, preventing lateral movement, offering layered protection, and making it easier to apply fine-grained access control. Teradact through our products TokenizerPlus (Tokenizer+) and RedactorPlus (Redactor+) can help any organization with their Zero Trust architecture from the data up.

What is Zero Trust?

​​Zero Trust is a security design concept that assumes everything in a network should be considered untrusted until proven otherwise. The goal is to build systems that cannot be breached by lateral movement (moving within the network) or compromised by malicious insiders.

Zero Trust also emphasizes the need for comprehensive security visibility, so you can see what’s happening in your environment and respond quickly if something bad does happen. Zero Trust makes it easier to implement fine-grained access control, through dynamic segmentation.

To do so, Zero Trust leverages technologies such as multifactor authentication, IAM, orchestration, analytics, encryption, tokenization, redaction, scorekeeping, file system access permissions. The idea of Zero Trust is to minimize the amount of data accessible internally while still allowing users access to whatever they need to get the job done. Our proven technology Tokenizer+ and Redactor+ enable your multi-layered Zero Trust protection framework

1. Unified Coverage

Zero Trust is not limited to a particular environment, such as the cloud or on-premises. It can be used in both types of environments, which is important because so many organizations are now hybrid.

Implementing a Zero Trust network is based on the firm having control of the network. It establishes where lines may be drawn and enforces access controls to protect sensitive applications, such as those running in on-premises data centers, from unlawful access and lateral movement.

Identity-based policies offer greater security that follows the workload wherever it travels, whether it’s in a public cloud, a hybrid environment, a container, or an on-premises network architecture.

Even if applications and services communicate across network environments, utilizing a zero trust approach to protection ensures that they are safe. Tokenizer+ and Redactor+ are fully scalable and deployable in your on-premise and/or cloud hyper-scaler provider and enabled for marketplace deployment.

2. Risk Assessment Capabilities

This security framework employs cutting-edge technologies such as risk-based multi-factor authentication, identity protection, next-generation endpoint security, and secure cloud workload technology to verify a user’s or system’s identity, give access at that time, and safeguard the system. Before they connect to apps, the endpoints and assets must be verified for trustworthiness. Encryption of data, securing email, and verifying the cleanliness of endpoints and assets are all important factors involved.

Through this, systems build stronger access controls that assess and manage the risk of ransomware and insider threats. Tokenizer+ and Redactor+ are able to intelligently leverage access rights to ensure that only the approved individuals are able to access your approved data based on your internal risk assessments

3. Automation

Policies need to be able to change as an environment changes. That’s why automation is so important in Zero Trust.

You need a policy management system that can automatically create and enforce policies as a given environment changes. Zero Trust automation and orchestration capabilities help to manage the secure access processes across an entire organization. This is done through integration with leading security technologies, including IAM, CASB, WAF, and EDR.

This allows for Zero Trust security policies to be automated and enforced as users try to access applications and data. It also allows for the continued monitoring of user activity and the dynamic adjustment of security policies to respond quickly to any risks that are identified. Tokenizer+ and Redactor+ leverage AI/ML to intelligently automated and protect your data whether it’s at rest or in motion

4. Scalability and manageability

Zero Trust Security is designed to be scalable so that it can grow with your organization. You should be able to add users, applications, and devices easily and without disruption. The system should also be manageable, so you can quickly identify and fix problems when they occur. Moreover, your API should be secure in its strategy to ensure that it does not leak your data while protecting it.

To be effective, APIs should not only be isolated from the broader data center environment, but also have strong access controls around them. API traffic should go directly to API gateways without passing through other networks, gateways or server infrastructure first. Data security is important, so API requests must be authenticated and authorized before they are called by a process or a user. Tokenizer+ and Redactor+ leverage the most up to date API and SDK to ensure that all known zero day exploits have been addressed and leverage access rights to ensure only those who are authorized to see the data are able to access it.

5. Ease Of Deployment

Ease of deployment is critical for supporting organizational needs, development and growth. To enable successful implementation, deployment and onboarding procedures must be simple and straightforward. In today’s tech culture, it’s crucial to use a technology that is simple to manage and doesn’t require specialized knowledge.

Tokenizer+ and Redactor+ are designed to be implemented within existing infrastructure and security tools and locally or in the cloud. Instead of requiring a rip-and-replace approach, it’s easy to deploy in an existing data center. Its components can be added incrementally, with full functionality available right away. This makes it ideal for both simple implementation and ease of use.

6. Support For Legacy Systems

A Zero Trust Security policy can also be used to secure legacy systems that are difficult to update or replace. Legacy systems can be isolated and made more secure through the use of micro-segmentation, encryption, tokenization and redaction of data sources. This allows for the continued use of these systems without putting the rest of the organization at risk by protecting the data within those legacy systems themselves. Tokenizer+ and Redactor+ can protect your data within those legacy systems by providing a multi-layered approach to data protection.

Conclusion

In a world where data breaches are becoming more common, it’s important to have a security framework that can protect your organization from all types of threats. Zero Trust is designed to do just that. It employs a risk-based approach that verifies the identity of endpoints and users before allowing access to applications and data. By using this approach, you can be sure that your organization is protected from ransomware, insider threats, data loss and other malicious activities.

Our solutions, Tokenizer+ and Redactor+, are also scalable and manageable, making it ideal for organizations of all sizes. And because it’s easy to deploy, it can be implemented quickly and without disruption. If you’re looking for a data security solutions that can protect your organization from threats, Tokenizer+ and Redactor+ is the answer, and you can improve your security posture and protect your data from cyber threats and further enable your security framework.

The 21st century has seen a significant boom in the creation of electronic data, which has led to the digitalization of personal information. Although digitalization has provided significant benefits to companies and individuals alike, such unprecedented growth is not free from problems. The biggest one is issues of cyber security and how to protect your sensitive data. 

As the cyber world expands, so does the rate of cybercrimes. Hackers use new methods to penetrate security systems and use people’s information for various crimes. It is, therefore, Highly advisable for entities to protect their sensitive information, especially when it comes to Personally Identifiable Information and Personal Health Information. 

Two of the most common types of data used to commit largescale cybercrimes. But what data protection measures should one take? And what kind of information must be protected at all costs? Finally, what are the repercussions of not protecting your data? If you have all these questions in mind, then you’ve come to the right place. 

Our comprehensive guide on Personally Identifiable Information and Personal Health Information will answer all of these questions and more for you to understand information security and data protection clearly.

What is Personally Identifiable Information? 

Personally, Identifiable Information has a broad definition. It can include any type of information that can lead to identifying the person the data belongs to through various direct and indirect methods. 

This type of data comprises information that can directly identify the individual, such as their full name, personal address, telephone number, social security number, or any other code employed by institutes and companies for identification, email ID, and social media information. 

Or information that can lead to the identification of the individual through indirect methods. This can include the date of birth, gender, race, geographic location, various other demographics that cybercriminals can identify an individual. 

Any information, whether it is on paper, online, or any device, that can lead to the individual being identified either physically or online is known as Personally Identifiable Information. 

The importance of Personally Identifiable Information can be gauged by the fact that the European Union and various other countries have strict laws and regulations that enforce its protection in most nations; the breach of this type of data is a punishable act. 

An example of a regulation pertaining to violations of Personally Identifiable Information is the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation that was passed in May 2018 and had a significant impact on the way companies handled the personal information of their employees. 

Under the GDPR, citizens of the European Union have the right to the protection of their data that is given to any company worldwide. Any breach of Information Security that can lead to the leaking of Personally Identifiable Information is heavily penalized unless reported and acted upon immediately (within 72 hours). 

Furthermore, if any company does not adhere to the strict guidelines of GDPR, it can be heavily fined depending on the measure of non-adherence; companies can be fined by up to 4% of their annual revenue. Although the GDPR allows companies to choose their data protection methods, they must be robust enough to offer adequate information security. 

Variations of such laws exist globally. However, the GDPR is one of the most comprehensive regulations to be put into full effect. 

What is Personal Health Information?

Personal Health Information (PHI), also known as Protected Health Information, is health-related information used to identify individuals. Personal health information can include data related to demographics, medical histories, laboratory and other tests, family medical history, health information, and other such data used to identify and treat individuals. 

Like personally identifiable information, Personal Health Information can be accessed and manipulated by criminals to commit various crimes such as identity theft. Digitally stored Personal health information is vulnerable to cyber-attacks if adequate measures of Information Security and data protection measures are not put in place. Cyber security is of utmost importance for companies, institutes, and organizations that deal with and store individuals’ personal health information. 

Although digitalization and having easy access to such data is vital for healthcare professionals to be able to provide quality and urgent care, it can also lead to serious security concerns if there is inadequate cyber security. 

For this reason, there are numerous laws and regulations in place globally to protect such information. Any individual or organization that causes a breach of such data mishandles personal health information of individuals or provides less than accepted information security measures is liable to be punished by law. 

One of the most comprehensive laws to deal with Personal Health Information in the US is The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which was enacted on August 21, 1996. HIPAA sets out a clear list of indications of what comes under Personal Health Information. 

These indicators can be used on their own or combined with other information to identify individuals. They include:

• Name
• Address
• Any dates specific to the person, such as their admission date, discharge date, birthdate, etc. 
• Fax numbers
• Phone numbers
• Numbers and codes that identify health plans
• Email ID
• Medical Record (MR) number
• License number
• Social security number
• Any account number
• Serial numbers that lead to the identification of devices used by an individual
• Information that can lead to the identification of their vehicle, such as their number plate
• IP address
• Any web addresses specific to the individual
• Information about characteristics that are unique to them
• Biometric data of the individual such as their voice ID, fingerprint, or biometric code
• Pictures of the individual or of personal traits that can lead to their identification

Personal health information is helpful for clinicians, researchers, and organizations for many reasons. Not only does accurate health information help clinicians provide timely and thorough care, but it can also help provide early diagnosis and predictions of the likely discourse the disease may take. 

Furthermore, personal health information can help provide information about general disease trends within the population and current health conditions and care. However, this information can also easily be manipulated and used for personal gains and criminal activity. 

Regulations such as HIPAA help prevent such unlawful activities and hold organizations accountable for how they handle sensitive information. 

Why Is It Important To Protect Personally Identifiable Information and Personal Health Information?

Personally Identifiable Information and Personal Health Information are both data that can lead to serious repercussions if in the wrong hands. This type of data is especially prone to cyber-attacks as it can be used to commit a multitude of crimes. 

One of the most prevalent crimes committed through theft of Personally Identifiable Information and Personal Health Information is Identity theft. 

According to a report by IBM published in 2020, 80% of businesses that were researched reported some breach in the personally identifiable information of their customers. 

As is evident from all the numbers, individuals’ concerns about cybersecurity relating to their personally identifiable information and personal health information are due to good reason. This type of information can lead to a variety of criminal activity including:

• Credit card fraud
• Bank fraud
• Email Ids being hacked and being used for malicious intent
• Social media accounts being hacked and used for malicious purposes
• Tax fraud
• Fraudulent applications for credit or loan

How Can You Protect Personally Identifiable Information and Personal Health Information?

Information security and data protection are of utmost importance in today’s digital world. Following are a few measures individuals can take to ensure their data is well protected:

• Use of Encryption At Rest and In-Transit when handling datasets with sensitive data
• Tokenization to overlay or replace the sensitive data with non-identifiable information
• Redaction of sensitive data so that only the appropriate users may access the data

Conclusion

Despite numerous steps being taken by international communities and global leaders, the genuine looming threat of cyber-attacks exists. 

Any entity found privy to cyberattacks is likely to be penalized heavily by the law and need to make sure that adequate protections have been implemented before an incident occurs.  Teradact’s TokenizerPlus (Tokenizer+) and RedactorPlus (Redactor+) provide intelligent and automated AI/ML based solutions to protect your company’s sensitive data.  Please contact us for more information.

In some form or another, cybersecurity has always been crucial. Recently, however, and especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s become increasingly important. This is simply because the risk of data breaches and data loss as a result of cybercrime has increased exponentially. And with more people using the internet than ever before, this risk is likely to increase even further.

Because of the increased risk, cybersecurity is critical to the future of your business. Simply put, with an effective information security (Info Sec) strategy, you’ll ensure that your and your customers’ data stays safe.

The problem is, however, that, due to technology becoming more sophisticated and cybercriminals using more aggressive approaches in their attacks, basic strategies are no longer good enough.

As a result, you need a multi-layered approach that protects every part of your network. Why is this important and, more importantly, what should your strategy consist of? In this post, we’ll look at these questions in more detail.

A Brief Look at the Statistics

At the foundation of understanding why cybersecurity is so critical to your business, is understanding the risk. So, it’s important to consider some cybersecurity statistics that illustrate this risk better.

Although cybercrime has always been a problem, its incidence is up by 600% as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is because cyber criminals use the pandemic to go after employees. These employees then download malicious attachments or click on suspicious links. 

Another contributor to this is that remote work has become increasingly popular. Employees working from home often don’t have the same level of security as they have at their offices. This makes it challenging to reduce the risk.

More worryingly is that, when a data breach happens, it takes companies, on average, 207 days to identify it. Also, 43% of data breaches are because of cyberattacks against small businesses. And these are the businesses who simply can’t afford it. 

Yet, despite this, only 16% of companies are prepared to deal with cyber risk and its implications. As such, more than 77% of companies do not have a cybersecurity response plan. Even worse, only 5% of companies’ folders, and by implication their data, is protected.

Why You Need a Layered Approach?

Nowadays, in your business, you’ll use several applications and platforms. You’ll also store and share data in a variety of ways. The thing is cyber criminals are becoming more sophisticated. As such, they’re using more advanced methods of attack to target businesses and the more applications and platforms your company uses the more vectors those criminals have.

This, means that a basic cybersecurity strategy will not be good enough. Firewall and antivirus solution will no longer protect your business. Thus, you’ll need to incorporate a range of technologies in your strategy to ensure that your business’s data stays protected. 

Beyond the security aspects, a variety of data privacy regulations have recently been introduced and when you have a cyber security event these laws apply to the loss of your data. These laws include:

• GDPR – General Data Protection Regulation
• CPRA – California Privacy Rights Act
• PIPL – Personal Information Protection Law

As you’ll likely deal with customer data, your strategy should then not only meet but exceed the requirements of these regulations. If it doesn’t, the penalties for not complying can be severe. 

Data: Digital Gold

Although you may have some tools and solutions to protect your systems from threats, the question is: What happens if a breach or data loss occurs?

This is where our data tokenization solutions come in. TokenizerPlus (Tokenizer+) allows you to confidently apply a multi-layered approach to protecting your data at rest and in transit and protect the underlying sensitive data itself.  As a result, we’re instrumental to your multi-layered cybersecurity solution.

In other words, you need some form of control when this data is outside your network. As a result, you should implement technologies like encryption, tokenization, and redaction that help you to protect your company’s and customers’ data. In turn, this ensures data security and data privacy.

Bottom Line

Considering how technology changes and evolves, basic cybersecurity strategies are no longer good enough to protect your business against the risk of cybercrime. As a result, you need a multi-layered approach that protects every part of your network and ensure data safety and privacy. 

As part of this strategy, TeraDact incorporates TokenizerPlus and RedactorPlus offers a robust solution to secure information sharing. It efficiently checks, versions, and releases sensitive documents to a multi-level access audience and has full tokenization and redaction capabilities. To learn more about TokenizerPlus, or RedactorPlus, and how these tools can help you protect your data against risk, contact us today.